Ink jet printers offer low cost and high quality printing options for a number of end uses including providing printed output from individual or networked computers. Typically, the printhead of an ink jet printer employs a resistor element in a chamber which is provided with a source of liquid ink from, for example, a reservoir such as an ink cartridge. Multiple resistor elements are arranged in a desired pattern on a nozzle plate to form the printhead, with each resistor element associated with a nozzle on the nozzle plate through which ink drops are expelled toward a print substrate.
In operation, a microprocessor controls signals sent to each resistor causing selected elements to be heated at appropriate times. This heating causes a bubble of ink to form in the chamber. The buildup of pressure expels the ink through the nozzle. By controlling the firing of the resistors, alphanumeric characters may be formed by the ink drops which strike the print substrate.
Ink jet inks are known to have stringent performance requirements including the need for a long shelf life, the ability not to dry and clog the nozzles when in the printhead, and yet also having the capability to dry quickly once printed onto paper or other substrates. As ink jet printing has advanced to achieve higher resolutions (i.e., more ink drops per inch) and higher print quality, the performance requirements for the jet inks have become even more critical. That is, the ink jet printer must be able to deliver a lower drop mass (i.e., smaller diameter drops) through a smaller diameter nozzle accurately and at a high frequency. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for ink jet inks capable of providing high print quality at high resolution and speed.